"So, how is it?" I asked Lora via holocommunication. "Are you satisfied with the outcome?"
"What makes you think I should be satisfied with this outcome?" the Mandalorian was without her helmet, so her emotions were plain on her face.
"Well, you got the remnants of an entire PMC, you left alive and well after everything that happened at planet Ruun. Aren't you unhappy with the result?"
"My organization turned out to be a fiction, my leader – a hypocritical liar..."
"Just don't start crying now," I said sternly. "Liars, hypocrites... What were you hoping for, Lora? Are you really a Mandalorian, or did you steal armor from someone? Who taught you to be so naive?"
"Whoever needed to, taught me," the woman grumbled angrily. "And yes! I am a Mando..."
"Doesn't look like it. For a cold-blooded mercenary, you get upset too quickly, and you seem unprepared for the various shitty situations that can and do happen to you. Gaven turned out to be a liar, the organization a fiction... And what next? Will you order a batch of Corellian whiskey, get drunk senseless, and cry in your cabin like a little girl? Understand this – the galaxy is a very difficult place. And not only you have experienced betrayal, the deaths of loved ones... But if everyone stopped after these circumstances – what would happen? Would everyone sit in cantinas and cry into their mothers' blouses and each other's? No... Real life is not a fairy tale about fairy-tale animals shitting rainbows. Pull yourself together, woman."
"Perhaps... You're right..."
"It's an illusion and a quirk of perception to think I'm wrong on this matter. Crying and whining after every defeat – there won't be enough tears. Better stop, calm down, understand where you made your mistake, and become better... Instead of making excuses and committing senseless suicide with alcohol," I looked Lora in the eyes. "So, what will you do now? The Council was not very pleased that I let you go."
The woman sighed and seemed transformed.
"Yes, my life was hard... Perhaps that's why I was looking for someone who could help me with it... And that it turned out to be Gaven... But you're right," she said. "I'm a mercenary. And now I have the reins of the remnants of my former organization in my hands. I suppose there will always be work in the Outer Rim for someone like me. And you don't have to activate your computer virus. I'm not going to do anything illegal, Light."
"And you're wrong to be afraid," I grinned. "You're alive precisely because of that. I was even surprised... A mercenary who tries to fight for conscience, not for credits. That's why I'm letting you go for now. I didn't feel any duplicity or hypocrisy from you. You also don't have to worry about Alexi Garin. He won't touch you. Officially, you no longer exist as an organization fighting the 'Black Sun'. The only problems for you are the Hutts. Jabba might not quite understand all the tricks we pulled at Ruun."
"I've already made a deal with him," Lora said. "I had to give him a lot. But he doesn't plan to destroy me. So... I'm leaving, Light," she put on her helmet. "See you, Jedi."
"See you, perhaps," I chuckled. "May the Force be with you," I disconnected the holocommunication and stretched.
A message arrived on the datapad. Opening it, I saw Garin's report on what happened in the organization since his arrival. In fact, he spun a story something like this: arriving at planet Ruun, Garin began a battle with Hornley. Hornley held his own excellently, quite possibly with the support of "Jedi or sensitives"; Alexi's flagship was subjected to a diversionary landing, but he managed to destroy it, and then dealt with Gaven's fleet, who died. The Vigo Council was pleased with his work, although some, obviously supporters of Kabra, who was already wary of Garin's reputation, blamed him for losses among the ships. And indeed – because I helped Hornley build up his forces in orbit, Garin suffered offensive losses. But on the other hand – my goal was not for everyone to leave there intact. Neither the 'Black Sun', nor 'Luna', nor the Hutts, who also sent their mercenaries. I didn't particularly value any of them during this conflict. 'Black Sun' and Hutts – they are criminals... 'Luna' even calls itself a 'PMC', which stands for 'private military company'... And this goes against my understanding. After all, what is a military organization? It is a means of violence. Ideally, only the state should have a monopoly on the use of violent methods. If everyone starts organizing their own private forces, giving weapons to someone without state control, then such a state will quickly collapse. On the other hand... The Republic currently lacks the ability to gain a monopoly on violence.
Everything here too closely copies the phrase "stagnant swamp." The Senate will choke on bile but will not allow the creation of an army. A full-fledged one, not the Judicial Forces, which are sometimes kicked even by frankly weak gangs... Therefore, by the way, it's too early to run and curb Palpatine's rise. Yes, then Sidious will be "try to pry him loose"... But one truth is also known – without an army, we won't get far. And creating an army now is an almost impossible task. We need to wait... Until the galaxy is shaken by wars. It is these events that will create demand for an army. And then it will already be offered... As well as chances to kill Sidious. Of course – he is a politician of incredible talent.
But we won't try to use only politics to overthrow him. At least, we can force the Senate to pass a Vote of No Confidence against him at the end of the Clone Wars, if we obtain evidence that Palpatine himself played on both sides – for the CIS and the Republic, for the sake of his ambitions. Such evidence is incredibly difficult to obtain... But who forbids me from doing what must be done in such a case? Difficult or not... It all depends on the difficulty of the task. Everything you can do must be done, and even more. And then we'll see. I reached Jebble, taking the Hydian Way, in about a week and a bit.
Sector N7 and planet Jebble.
I had to delay a bit to replenish fuel and food supplies. I could cook, quite decently, and pleased myself with good steaks with vegetables. But when I had a protocol droid, namely HK-47, I decided it was time to acquire a slightly different level of cooking and downloaded cooking programs into HK... As the "true master," I could modify its code as I pleased. Naturally, I didn't delete anything, because for me, HK was also a kind of "fan service"... In general, for a true Star Wars fan, even talking to Yoda is fan service. But overall, it turned out funny. The assassin droid – used the same manipulators it was used to holding a blaster with – for cooking and kept muttering: "how he hates to cook." When Revan saw the situation where HK was standing at an analog stove, checking the doneness of the steak against my preference, and muttering about how he hated cooking – he almost dematerialized from laughter.
From space, Jebble looked like a blue ball. The planet was completely covered in ice. Obviously, it was cold there, but I was little worried about freezing. Matukai technology allowed them to control their bodies with the Force, physical characteristics – at an improved level. With the Force, even without Matukai knowledge, I could already surround myself with a barrier that would keep me warm. But the knowledge from the Matukai scrolls was enough for a slightly different option, namely – a light infusion of the Force into the muscles and tissues of the entire organism, with subsequent transformation into heat. This is what helps me to be in light clothing in the middle of snow and ice.
Now I just need to figure out: how do we find the rakghouls and Celeste with Dreypa's Ark? After the Mandalorian nuclear bombardment, the Ark survived. Ideally, the rakghouls could have survived too. Here, on Jebble, ice and some useful minerals were still being mined.
"Don't worry about how to find what you need. I've met rakghouls, even too many times, and I remember perfectly how to find them... How to find even a completely ghostly trace," Revan's ghost said.
"I don't doubt that, but... how will we get access to a necromancer who can wield the Force? We'll have to wake up Celeste Morne and explain a lot to her..."
"Are you afraid of a girl?" Revan asked.
"Should I be afraid of her?" I shrugged. "She has the talisman of Carnes Muur. Someone who possessed Sith alchemy at some insane level..."
"Don't talk nonsense," Revan said. "Who are you afraid of? The Horde? Muur? Or maybe Ajunta Pall? Or your Sidious with Plagueis? They all pale in comparison to Valkorion... To the one who could drink the entire galaxy."
"Nihilus was close to his abilities," I recalled.
"Are you comparing a wound in the Force, to someone who accidentally, so to speak, gained these abilities, with someone who did it consciously?"
"No, I'm not comparing, just finding a similarity."
"And how will that help you?" Revan chuckled. "Among the Sith, there are, so to speak, two castes. Regulars, who are usual warriors with swords. And unique ones, who possess unique abilities. Regulars are like two drops of water. But unique ones are unlike anyone, for the most part," yes, just like extras and unique heroes against their background. "Therefore, it is impossible to defeat someone from the unique Sith by finding a similar one. You can only use knowledge, Light. But under no circumstances try to use what helped you, for example, with Sidious against another Sith. You'll waste your time. Sit down, here," Revan pointed to a small elevation. "I feel a strange object below... Usually, during a sensor scan, my Force penetrates everywhere. But this object... it seems to ignore it, creating something like a hole."
Landing the ship near the elevation, I discovered that the elevation turned out to be an abandoned ice mining building. Ice could be transported from here to other planets. Inside it was empty, nothing was felt... I stepped forward, looking around at the bare, partially collapsed walls. In my right hand was a deactivated lightsaber.
"I wonder if the elevator works?" VV stayed on the ship. But HK walked next to me. He was supposed to help fight the rakghouls. I didn't remember how the miners here discovered Dreypa's Ark with Celeste. More precisely – they were trying to restore mining here. It's still a long way off. But I don't remember – did they encounter rakghouls? It seems not... But it's better to be safe.
"Doubt: the master possesses intelligence."
I pressed the button... The elevator doors didn't open. The power supply here also hasn't been restored. However, I don't need it. Activating the lightsaber, I inserted it into the elevator doors and cut out a circle with it. Pulling it out with the Force, I carefully peered inside, looking to see if there was a floor. There was a floor, the elevator seemed to be frozen solid to the shaft. Entering the elevator car, I began to cut a circle in its floor... I wonder how deep the shaft is? Taking out a second lightsaber, I dropped it down, activating it in parallel. This will help me see everything in the light.
"You could have asked me," Revan said. "I would have looked."
"I must learn to manage without outside help," I replied, returning the second saber. "About ten meters. Not bad."
There was only one way out, directly into the mine. I jumped into the hole I had cut, activating the grappling hook to slow my fall and reinforcing my body with the Force. A superhero landing, Deadpool would have been proud of me. It was dark inside, but my lightsabers illuminated the cave where ice had once been mined. With the Force, I could navigate the darkness as if it were daylight. In the far part of the mine was what was indeed Drape's ark. I had always thought it should be in the laboratory of Pulsifer, a Mandalorian scientist. But was it moved? Or was this place later used as a mine? I don't even notice how knowledge begins to slip away, little by little... However, these are trifles that don't matter. After walking about ten meters towards the ark, I stopped, looking to the right. Frozen directly into the ice was a corpse... A rakghoul's corpse. And it was well preserved...
Celeste Morne is being placed in Drape's ark.
"Hmm," Revan's ghost appeared next to him. "The rakghoul's parameters are incredible. I'm sure if it's thawed forcefully, it will move as if it hadn't been frozen here. However, this specimen is clearly not a nekghoul... It doesn't have a Force sensitivity. And for our training to be complete, this is exactly what's needed."
"So, are we going to pull Celeste out of Drape's ark?"
"Not necessarily," Revan said. "As I've already said, their body is unique among all animals in the Galaxy. Their ability to mutate..."
"So, wait, if you possess its body, it will become Gifted?"
"No. Not if I possess it, but if you share your blood with it and I possess it. Your blood contains a huge amount of midi-chlorians, Light. And I've learned a lot over the many years of my life. Some knowledge I took directly from Vitiate after my defeat. I won't be able to fully resurrect in this rakghoul's body. But your blood and my intervention will initiate its transformation into a nekghoul. For a while, it will accept me... Your task is to hold your own against me in this shell and not die," the man chuckled.
"NK," I called to the droid, who had also descended. He used the jetpack I had attached to him. "Give me a sword." He handed me a regular vibrosword... Or rather, not entirely ordinary. It was a sword with beskar added to the blade. It would help Revan fight more honestly.
"Well, are you ready for training, Light?"
"I've been using the Force since I arrived here, won't you give me a break?"
"What a foolish question," Revan said. "The Galaxy will never give you rest unless you take it for yourself. So... Let's get started."
Revan approached the ice block and directed his hand towards it. A crack was heard, and the block, which was almost in the wall, was torn out, melting as it went. Revan used pyrokinesis, heating the block... Or is it hydrokinesis with water transformation? In principle, he probably knows hydrokinesis too. The rakghoul fell at my feet and began to growl...
"GRAAAAR!" he roared a couple of seconds later. So quickly he came to his senses? He rushed at me, swinging his paw, but was immediately stopped by my telekinesis and pinned to the ground. I, using the Force, began to pry open its jaws, and at the same moment, brought the vibrosword to my left hand and carefully scratched my palm. Blood began to flow directly into the monster's mouth. At the same moment, I threw it away from me and focused the Force on healing. And Revan's ghost entered the monster's body. I threw the vibrosword in front of him and prepared for battle, taking a lightsaber in each hand. The rakghoul grabbed its head and began to roll on the ground, and then an incredible Force began to emanate from it... Which was in some way related to me. Meat shot out of the rakghoul's body, literally growing in all directions. Based on what I saw, it was going through the worst moments of its existence. Finally, it began to change, its body began to stretch. If before it was more like an animal, then in the end it became an upright monster.
The remaining eyes of the monster shone with a cold, blue light. It rose on both legs, picking up the sword.
"We don't have much time, student," Revan said. His voice was sinister, growling. "It's time to see how much you've managed to master. I won't spare you! Since I've trained you in the aspects of the Force, taught you martial arts, we'll test exactly that!"
"NK, my order! Do not interfere!" This is my test.
"Understood: I understand, master. Doubt: the individual called 'master' exhibits reduced intellectual activity and a tendency towards pathos. Recommendation: if you don't want to be embarrassed, do not include this episode of your life in your autobiography, if you survive, so as not to have to participate in forum flame wars where the entire Galaxy will dispute the fact of your intelligence, master."
Revan aimed his hand at me, and in an instant, protrusions of blue Force lightning shot at me. I sent the Force along the lightsaber, blocking the lightning with my right blade, and at the same moment, threw the left one aside. Controlling telekinesis, I made the thrown sword go around Revan's flank. The nekghoul stopped using lightning and jumped back, while I began the attack, closing the distance between us and pulling the previously thrown sword back into my left hand. Having trained Jar'Kai for so long, I managed to master it quite well. The main philosophy – simultaneous attacks from two different directions fit perfectly with my not-so-large physique and the fact that speed, agility, and flexibility have always been my best physical parameters.
However, even a simultaneous attack to the legs and head didn't help here. For all his speed, I was dealing with Revan. Not quite him, but the rakghoul into which Revan had possessed. He blocked the blows with a quick movement and immediately launched his combination. Without constant meditation, the training trials he loved to give me, I would hardly have been able to keep track of him. The Force enhancement, plus the unique body of the nekghoul into which he managed to transform the rakghoul... Revan fights with the intent to kill. The blows are fast, strong, and precise... I parried three of his consecutive attacks and jumped into a counter-attack, but he caught me in mid-air with a high kick... He must have learned it from me, I used to use high kicks and dragon tails – sweeps followed by finishing blows – too often.
I was thrown back... My Force-reinforced body took the damage more or less. Except that the rakghoul hit and scratched me until I bled with its claws, which means the plague created by Muur got inside me... And it would have caused damage if I hadn't begun to comprehend the Matukai techniques, which allowed me to control my own body at an improved level... The Force surged through my veins, almost like blood... Energy gathered at the site of infection, stimulating white blood cells, which are the defenders of our body, as well as platelets, which usually initiate hemostasis, or "blood clotting"... Revan, however, was not in the mood to give me a chance... With a crack, the ice began to break, and at the same moment, blocks of ice were directed at me with incredible speed. Still in the air, he shattered them with telekinesis, deliberately sharpening them, turning them into spears. I put up a Force barrier, against which all his "spears" pressed... However, he managed to accelerate them to decent speeds.
There were about a dozen spears, so holding them back was harder... I threw a fireball at him, but Revan dodged with astonishing ease, continuing to press the improvised spears into my barrier, while bringing up new ones. Lightning Force shot from his free hand again... It also hit my barrier and broke through it. Ice spears and Force lightning attacked me from all sides. Damn... I dodged the lightning and the ice spears, threw my lightsaber from my left hand at him, but Revan, with a wave of his hand, not only raised the ice blocks again but also took control of my lightsaber and attacked with everything he had. The situation reminded me of Seth Hart's when he attacked me from all sides on Royce, but there were blasters, cutlery... Here, it was a lightsaber and ice blocks sharpened into spears by the Force. And then I got myself into a lot of trouble, trying to parry everything or dodge. I was still trying to dodge, but with him, such tricks wouldn't work... I gained another ability that would help me get out of the line of fire, although I prefer to save it. Waiting for the moment when only fractions of a second remained before his attack hit, I covered my right eye and concentrated the Force at my left... A moment, and I swapped places with Revan.
My swap happens instantly, as does the formation of the "swap point." And I can form a swap point on absolutely any body. Whether it has the Force or not. I mark the point on the surface itself, and if this surface is part of a sentient being's body, then it will also be teleported. Yes, this is not a fair, "knightly" duel. But I was never a knight. I can engage in a pompous one-on-one fight, according to the laws of shonen... But who said that even in the context of this fight I wouldn't be cunning and use "dirty tricks"? Winners are not judged... I wasn't particularly worried about my sword. There, in Revan, several "ice spears" should have hit, which wouldn't even leave a scratch on the beskar handle. And the lightsaber blade should have cut off part of his body... However, even in the dust that rose from the ice projectiles flying at a decent speed, I felt Revan. And his body... Wasn't that enough? Then... I aimed my left hand at the cloud of rising ice dust and fired Force lightning. Protrusions of green lightning quickly crossed the distance separating us and crashed into something...
When the dust cleared, Revan stood before me. He was holding my second lightsaber by the blade, using a Force barrier that kept the dangerous blade practically at his skin. He absorbed the Force lightning with tutaminis.
"The plan is brilliant in its unexpectedness," Revan said. "But it's not enough."
I ducked and immediately used the second charge of the Heavenly Palm, appearing behind Revan, swapping with a small stone I saw behind his body, seeing it between his spread legs, and taking my second sword from his hand. Two slashing blows, crosswise, to the back. He leaned forward slightly, but the edges of the lightsabers grazed him, leaving a cross-shaped scar on his back. He turned sharply, using a high kick again, while I, landing, ducked and used the dragon tail, spinning with the Force... A quick and strong sweep threw him off balance and disrupted his attack... He retreated, and I used an upward vortex, a Jar'Kai maneuver during which a hail of quick strikes is delivered. Constantly rotating my body around its axis, performing pirouettes, I delivered rapid blows at different angles. Revan blocked them until he thrust his hand forward... Telekinesis? I was a fraction of a second ahead of him, throwing him back, and then jumped and, rotating horizontally in the air, delivered a series of blows.
(Well, that's roughly how I see it))).
Revan figured out the maneuver and therefore easily blocked a couple of blows, finishing the aerial pirouettes, I landed on my knees and shot the grappling hook between his legs. The cable quickly reached its target and, starting to pull, dragged me towards it. I raised my sword upwards, trying to cut Revan's torso, but he jumped up, avoiding the treacherous blow. Retrieving the grappling hook, I turned around. Revan was about to use a Force technique, but I beat him to it. Is the nekghoul's body getting exhausted? Because I feel like I'm getting faster than him? Or is it a consequence of my training and prediction abilities? It doesn't matter...
I pulled him towards me, disrupting his technique and attacked again with a double blow, which he blocked. Then he threw me back with a telekinetic wave. I was ready for the attack, but couldn't avoid it. Landing, I shot fireballs at him, and then lightning. Revan absorbed everything with tutaminis, and then delivered several powerful and fast blows. I blocked the last one with my lightsabers crossed, entering a clinch.
"Not bad, not bad," the nekghoul-Revan growled. "You've mastered lightning, fire, and use Force techniques in time... It's just that you spent the Heavenly Palm charges too quickly. You should have saved one for the end of the fight. It's not a fact that you'll survive until the end because of such an expenditure. And you put yourself in a position where you had to use your trump card at the very beginning!"
I sharply moved the blow aside, and then, with the sword in my left hand, pierced his right shoulder. Putting maximum speed into it, as much as possible, I jumped onto Revan's neck and tried to pierce his head with the sword.
But a powerful telekinetic wave threw me back. At the same time, he managed to clamp my second sword with his shoulder and the Force. Back... Revan didn't even let me land properly, immediately turning around and... He put the Force into his sword with a swing, creating a shockwave. I ducked, pressing myself to the ground, and struck with Force lightning...
"It's time you understood," he replied with his Force lightning, "that your Force lightning, since you primarily use the light side, is no match for mine!" he growled. And he was right. His lightning overpowered mine. When will the Heavenly Palm recharge? Still a long way off... Absorbing his lightning with tutaminis, I created a huge fireball from his energy, directing it at Revan. "What childish games," he said, putting up a Force barrier. The fireball collided with the Force wall and immediately exploded. His barrier performed its function, but that was only the initial goal. Revan uses the classic scheme – he took the blow and immediately counter-attacked. Therefore, he rushed at me and even aimed his second hand, when suddenly he fell to the ground. His left leg was severed... "But how?" he asked, looking with surprise at the lightsaber I had thrown from my right hand. "Did you hide the lightsaber under the fireball?"
"Correct," I confirmed. The attack was in two stages. Revan feels the use of the Force perfectly, so I didn't throw the sword with telekinesis, but threw it in a different direction from myself, hooked it with the grappling hook, and threw the blade precisely under the fireball, calculating everything so that the fireball would collide with the barrier first. Revan has a limitation here – namely, time. Therefore, after surviving my powerful attack, he intended to quickly counter-attack without wasting energy on defense. So he removed the barrier, and since the sword was thrown not by telekinesis, he didn't feel it. I pulled both my swords back to me.
"Clever... But... I AM REVAN! As if cunning, tactics, and strategy are enough to defeat me!" Leaning on one leg, he jumped into the attack. His body won't last long. I could wait for the nekghoul's body to finally disintegrate from the Force of Revan's ghost and my blood, but this victory wouldn't be entirely complete. So I met his onslaught... We exchanged quick blows, during which he almost cut me down, and then almost cut off my legs. I blocked his third blow, but jumped back, performing a pirouette and again striking at my legs. I raised my left leg and, catching the moment, brought it down precisely on his weapon, pinning it to the ground. I didn't waste time, quickly spinning and using the "upward vortex" maneuver, delivering rapid blows to various parts of the nekghoul, literally cutting him into several pieces... In the end, his head fell at my feet, and Revan's ghost stood before me. "Well, what can I say... It's good that you were able to defeat me, even in this form. In my original form, you probably wouldn't have gotten off so easily. But we have what we have. You've mastered the initial level of Echani, which I showed you a little. But what's worth noting is your progressive fencing, combat intuition, and mastery of Force techniques. We'll consider that you passed the exam," Revan said. "Take your prize... Mmm... And what was my prize?"
"You said that if I could defeat you, I would 'get the right to summon Tulak Hord'..."
"Yes, it so happened that I couldn't allow you to summon the Lord of Hate without proof that you, Light, have mastered Force techniques and developed your fencing to at least be able to resist me," – at least? But now I see you're ready. Your prize is the location of Tulak Hord's artifact. You need the item that interacted with his Force, right?"
"Let's say so," I deactivated the lightsabers, but didn't take my eyes off Revan. What if he did something else?
"A long time ago, I found his mask. Hord's Mask," he said. "I used it to work on the design of my own. And I also disassembled it using Force Forging."
"But didn't the mask become imbued with your Force then?"
"Even after that, it radiated a darkness that I didn't have in the darkest periods of my life," Revan said. "I still feel its location in this Galaxy. It is... " he closed his eyes, "on the planet Veinay. I felt it when you unfolded the Galaxy map in front of me once. I even felt my very distant descendants."
"What a developed sensory perception you have..."
"It's not sensory perception," he shook his head. "The Force is not just midi-chlorians. The Force is energy that permeates the entire Galaxy. From end to end, Light, from end to end. That's why I understood where Hord's mask was. Here's your prize. Thank you for the pleasure... If you don't mind, I must go. I have nothing more to teach you. Improve your skills... And don't you dare come to me without any results, otherwise I'll unleash Bastila on you. In her anger, she's more dangerous than two hundred rancors."
"I will definitely tell her that when I join you..."
"You wouldn't dare," he looked at me menacingly.
"That's exactly what I'll do, mentor."
"Kh... You would make a great politician in the Senate of the Republic. You are cunning, and if you lose your conscience somewhere, you will become an ideal Senator."
"Nonsense... I have no intention of becoming a Senator. I aim much higher."
"Good, if that's the case... For your position, conscience is much more important than for a Senator's position," Revan's ghost finally dissolved.
I sighed, normalizing my breathing.
"Surprise: so it really was the former master Revan. You fought him."
"Yes, NK... I wish I could say that our business in this unwelcoming world is over, but," I glanced towards Drape's ark. Even our fight with the nekghoul, considering the changed landscape, the ice melted by lightning and fire – did not affect the sarcophagus where the Jedi girl rested. "First, we need to decide what to do with you, Celeste Morne..."
I approached Drape's ark. I remembered that Vader was able to open it. And I can... But who will emerge? A former Jedi shadow and a member of the Covenant? Her secret organization within the Order has long been destroyed. And the Order is no longer what she knew... Or will it be the Sith Karness Muur? I shuddered. A dangerous creature... Although I would be uncomfortable in his place. Celeste, after all, is a woman, and Muur is a man. To be reborn in a woman's body? Brr... I've noticed that I've gone a little crazy and even, like Orochimaru, started licking my lips in the middle of a fight... As if anticipating pleasure... But even for me, with all my quirks, it would be strange to be reborn in a woman's body.
"This is shaping up to be a good, big, and hard, lesbian fanfic, no less," I commented. "Sith, after all, especially those succumbing to passions, including the sin of lust... And therefore, Muur, in that case, wouldn't refuse to satisfy the call of the flesh after so many years of imprisonment. Will he pounce on a man? Sounds even more disgusting. Once I was asked – if you were reborn as a woman, would you remain hetero, or become homo? The answer is homo... Hmm..."
"Observation: master – talking to yourself will lead to nothing good. Recommendation: contact your family psychotherapist. Get checked."
"Shut up, NK, these are my thoughts out loud," I sighed heavily, looking at the ark's console. The ark itself somewhat resembled a coffin. Pressing the control keys, I was surprised that it was active. Not so much the ark itself as a life-support system, but its control console. Fiddling with the keys, I pressed "open." The lid opened, slowly rising upwards and revealing a beautiful, slender woman. All according to the mentor Lorm's teachings. The most beautiful are Jedi women, because they don't neglect physical exercise and are mostly slim fitness cuties.
Celeste Morne in full height.
Her clothing was a combination of black and white. The bodice covered the upper half of her body and was complemented by massive shoulder pads. On her shoulders were massive pieces covering her shoulders. Her arms were also hidden by clothing, ending in "holey gloves." The pants were form-fitting, emphasizing her figure. And on her neck shone a golden amulet, from which dark energy emanated... The amulet began to awaken from its slumber.
There was no more energy left in the ark. At least, it was used to maintain the life of the sealed woman and for the unsealing.
"Ugh," her face wrinkled. Proper facial features, a delicate nose... And dark hair. The girl was indeed beautiful and remained so. After so much time, if not for stasis, even her bones wouldn't have reached me. "Where am I? Who are you?" she stared at me with eyes as blue as the water in one of Alderaan's seas, and then noticed that her lightsaber was resting in my hands. I had pulled it to me immediately after opening the ark. It lay next to her. "How long have we... How long have I been inside? What about the Covenant? The Jedi Order? The Republic? The Mandalorians..."
"Ah, I have to explain everything again," I sighed heavily. "Good day, Celeste Morne, my name is Light. Light Flaingstar. I am a Jedi Knight, specialty – Shadow, of the Guardian Corps."
"Shadow? Are you from the Covenant?"
"No, your organization within the Order was long ago destroyed by Zane Kerrik and Lucien Drey."
"Drey betrayed the Covenant?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes, moreover. The entire Covenant turned out to be a fiction, a toy in the hands of a certain Haazen. It all ended with his death..."
"I see," the girl said in a sad tone. Does she regret her organization? "And what about Zane? Did he send you?"
"No, of course not," I replied negatively. "Zane, Celeste, lived... Four thousand years ago, like you, officially."
Her eyes widened in surprise. The emotions of confusion were so strong that even a novice empath could have been affected.
"Four... thousand years," she said dryly.
"Yes. For a four-thousand-year-old, you're very beautiful," I said, looking her over. "And it's amazing. It seems this ark has completely halted the metabolic processes in your body, preventing you from turning into a pile of atoms in such a short time."
"I've been lying in this place for so long just to listen to compliments from a youngster?" the girl smirked.
"I'm as old as you were when you lay down in it," I nodded at the ark.
"You don't look it," she stepped out of the ark. Amazing, she lay there for so long and walks so confidently?
"When will the Galaxy run out of jokes about my height?" I asked a philosophical question. "But this isn't a question for you," I'll ask the Celestials, maybe they know the answer. "So. What should I do with you? The records I found are lies, only my knowledge remains. You are the guardian of the talisman of the ancient Sith Lord — Karness Muur," I looked at her neck. "And I feel the dark side of the Force emanating from this trinket. And before that, I stumbled upon a frozen neghoul."
"Did this neghoul damage the surrounding space fighting you?" she asked, glancing around. "You're too weak for a Knight."
"Well, the problem was more that a Force ghost of another gifted one possessed the neghoul. Quite a strong one. From your era, by the way. It was quite difficult to deal with him."
"I'd advise you to run," she said. "You freed me in vain. Karness has already awakened... And he will start turning everyone around into rakghouls very soon!"
"How good that we are here together, in that case. My droid, HK," she looked behind her, "he won't turn. And he won't have enough strength for me."
"Question: Master, may I burn a hole in this bag of meat?"
"No," I replied. "Not yet. If Karness possesses you, I'll have to kill you, but until that happens..."
What is that noise? I feel dozens of living auras approaching here... Very similar to rakghouls.
"It seems my awakening has affected my frozen servants on this planet!" next to Celeste, I could make out his appearance. An old man with a gray beard and hair cascading to his shoulders. The top of his head was completely bald. His eyes were either red or auridium.
"Karness Muur, I presume?" his clothes were dark, and behind him, a scarlet cloak could be seen.
"Young Jedi. I sense far greater potential in you than in this girl! Submit to me as a disciple, and I will make you great!"
"Declined, I'll abstain," I replied to Muur. "And... What will you do next, old man?"
"Hahahaha!" he burst out laughing. "I will cast you into the ocean of despair, boy. And when you know it, know your powerlessness – you will accept me as your mentor!"
"I hope you have a plan," Morn said. "I can't control them yet!"
Indeed, the talisman detached from her neck and deftly jumped away from us. I tried to destroy it with my lightsaber, but it flew over the blade and was immediately picked up by one of the rakghouls that broke through. Will it become the center of its personality?
"Without the talisman, they won't obey me. Muur, you said you needed a gifted body for control..."
"I lied," the rakghoul roared. "I need a body... And giftedness... A useful bonus, but not critical. I will take the boy alive and bend him to the dark side, and you... You have been my jailer for too long, Celeste Morn. I will simply kill you!"
I returned Celeste's sword.
"You asked about a plan," I said. About twenty rakghouls surrounded us. HK stood beside me. "So the plan is simple. Attack. I hope you haven't lost your skills."
My Force Palm ability has recovered for both eyes.
"The main thing is to kill Muur. If he could use rakghouls as his vessel constantly, he would never try to possess a sentient body. He's lying..."
"Like all Sith," I confirmed. "Shall we begin, Celeste Morn?"
"I'm ready..."